date¹ (dāt)
n.

1. 1. Time stated in terms of the day, month, and year.
   2. A statement of calendar time, as on a document.
2. A specified day of a month.
3. 1. A particular point or period of time at which something happened or existed, or is expected to happen.
   2. dates The years of someone's birth and death: Beethoven's dates were 1770 to 1827.
4. The time during which something lasts; duration.
5. The time or historical period to which something belongs: artifacts of a later date.
6. An appointment: a luncheon date with a client; a date with destiny. See synonyms at engagement.
7. 1. An engagement to go out socially with another person, often out of romantic interest.
   2. One's companion on such an outing.
8. An engagement for a performance: has four singing dates this month.

v., dat·ed, dat·ing, dates.

v.tr.

1. To mark or supply with a date: date a letter.
2. To determine the date of: date a fossil.
3. To betray the age of: Pictures of old cars date the book.
4. To go on a date or dates with.

v.intr.

1. To have origin in a particular time in the past: This statue dates from 500 B.C.
2. To become old-fashioned.
3. To go on dates.

idioms:

out of date

1. No longer in style; old-fashioned: clothes that went out of date last year.

to date

1. Until now: To date, only half of those invited have responded.

up to date

1. In or into accordance with current information, styles, or technology: brought me up to date on the project's status.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin data, from Latin data (Romae), issued (at Rome) (on a certain day), feminine past participle of dare, to give.]

datable dat'a·ble or date'a·ble adj.
dater dat'er n.

date² (dāt)
n.

1. The sweet, edible, oblong or oval fruit of the date palm, containing a narrow, hard seed.
2. A date palm.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Old Provençal datil, from Latin dactylus, from Greek daktulos, finger, date (from its shape).]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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